Changes in current releases

Dynatrace NAM 2018 SP4

Changes in alerting

Starting with NAM 2018 SP3, we verify output filters in alerts. Any alert modified from the default containing an unusual output filter would not pass validation. When this validation failed, however, the alert was removed from the NAM Server because it was inoperable. In SP4, such an alert will still be inoperable but it will remain visible in the console so you can fix the filter manually.

Changes in calculations

Changes in upgrading

Upgrade from NAM 2017 to NAM 2018 created an incomplete technical hierarchy per software service for the NAM 2018 Server. As a result, information about software services on the NAM Server was limited. Starting with NAM 2018 SP4, upgrades from NAM 2017 to NAM 2018 SP4 now preserve all software service information.

Changes in NAM Probe

Extended rcon SNC diagnostic with a list of usernames and principal names for which no key was matched.

Improvements in API

Improved how Data Export API handles smart data preparation after first request: data is not generated until first request is made to this API asking for particular data file type.

Improved how Data Export API configuration and a number of other configuration properties are handled during upgrade.

Dynatrace NAM 2018 SP2

Editing built in reports

By default, in NAM 2018 release, all built-in DMI reports were marked as read only. You could copy and edit the built-in reports under your own report name. Starting with NAM 2018 SP2, users who have the
Maintenance and Support Administrator role, are enabled to change the built-in DMI reports.

There is no support for for modified built-in DMI reports. If problems occur with your modified built-in DMI reports, we recommend that you revert to the original report definitions. Use REPORT REREAD command in the Admin console of the NAM report server. We are happy to hear from you about any potential changes or improvements to the out of the box reports, share your thoughts in product ideas on the community forum.

Auditing incorrect logins

Starting with the NAM 2018 release, the authentication is managed solely by your NAM Console, which can either act as the identity provider (IdP) and handle all sign-on activity from the NAM deployment or manage communication with the external IdP. Due to the architectural constrainst related to that, the Incorrect login built-in alert is no longer operational. With NAM 2018 SP2, the Incorrect login alert is disabled and kept only for the support purposes.

To address this, we're providing you with the improved and enhanced Auditing in NAM Console. If you use NAM Console as your IdP, you can easily list all the incorrect login attempts. Sign in to NAM Console and go to Security > Auditing. You can now filter the events using the Invalid credentials event type. The Audit events table will list all the unsuccesful login attempts along with the critical connection details.
If you use an external IdP, NAM Console will not be able to list unsuccesful login attempts. Instead, you can use auditing tools specific to your SSO vendor.

Enhanced Sequence explorer

We enhanced the contents and improved the usability of the Sequences explorer. When analyzing the report, remember that the Health index metric we added to the Sequence explorer is additionaly affected by incomplete sequence requests, which can result in its value below 100% even though the Availability and Performance are ranked at 100%. For more information see, Sequence explorer

Dynatrace NAM 2018 SP1

External IdP configuration

As part of configuring an external IdP, you need to export the SSO metadata from the NAM Console and import it into the external IdP configuration. For example, in Using OpenAM as an external IdP , you export the NAM Console metadata in and import it into OpenAM.

Installing NAM 2018 Service Pack 1 will require you to export and import that metadata once more after you apply the service pack. Without doing so, you will be unable to sign in to the NAM Console through the external IdP.

Alerts update

On the the Notifications page of configuration wizard, you can click Build report URL to add a link to an external site or to a NAM report in the alert notification message, and to send details describing alerts (metrics, dimensions, modes, etc.) as parameters with those links.

Dynatrace NAM 2018

NAM Probe firewall

The NAM Probe uses rtmgate to communicate with other Dynatrace components such as NAM Console, NAM Server, and AppMon server.

The fresh NAM Probe installation includes a system firewall that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on configured security rules. The rtmgate listens on TCP port 8443 and UDP port 9093 and, by default, it uses the system firewall to redirect incoming requests on these ports.

TCP 443 ► TCP 8443

UDP 514 ► UDP 9093

An upgraded NAM Probe installation that is already using the system firewall will preserve all existing rules and exceptions. The upgrade process will automatically add and map the required communication ports redirections.

Single Sign-on

With NAM 2018 we introduced a Single Sign-on.

When you sign on to one component (NAM Console or NAM Server), you are also signed on to other NAM components in the deployment (providing you have the appropriate user role). That’s the essence of single sign-on.

User rights are still controlled in NAM with fine granularity to guarantee appropriate levels of user access to reports and configuration screens.

All users must have web access to the NAM Console. Whether you choose to use the external SSO federation services or not, the NAM Console always plays an essential part in every user’s authentication.

Converting ADS reports

There is no automatic conversion of ADS reports into ADoD reports. Once upgraded, you can use the diagnostic console command that converts the exiting reports to use ADOD data views or, edit each of your custom ADS-based reports and change the DMI data view for each of them from ADS data views to ADOD data views.
See Upgrading DC RUM 2017 with ADS.

Reports

Once you upgrade the CAS 2017 to NAM Server, most of the ADS-based reports will work in the same way. The exception are the reports that aggregate data across large data sets from the old CAS-ADS deployment. The ADOD feature extracts up to 1000 records per report and aggregates on these reports can only be calculated on such limited data sets.

Typically, ADS reports are focused on diagnostics. They present limited data sets filtered by specific dimensions for example, time, user name, URL and client IP address. ADOD supports such reports out of the box.

Built-in reports

All built-in NAM 2017 reports will work after the upgrade to NAM Server 2018. For example, all the user activity reports, waterfall charts and error detail reports will work out of the box on the NAM Server. Keep in mind these reports will use the ADOD feature data, not your old ADS 2017 server data.

Component licenses

DC RUM 2017 release supported two types of licensing: Capacity based and Component based. Typically, the capacity licenses were handled by the eServices licensing platform while the Component licenses were handled by Distributed License Management (DLM).

Starting with Dynatrace NAM 2018 release, all licenses (capacity based and component based) will be handled by the eServices licensing platform.

NAM 2018 brings a redesigned, intuitive and simplified alert definition mechanism based on DMI concepts familiar to any analyst working on creating NAM server reports. Among many changes introduced in the UI, make sure you familiarize with the following important changes in the available alert features.

Listing alerts

User-defined and predefined alerts are no longer listed in separate tabs. Use the new filtering mechanism to quickly find the alert you're looking for.

Delayed processing option

We removed the Delayed processing option from the Propagation settings tab. With the redesigned alert mechanism, this option would only be justified right after starting a newly installed server with a fresh database.

Filtering alert notifications

We no longer provide possibility to define additional conditions for sending alert notifications. As a workaround, we suggest defining more granular alert definitions dedicated to particular users.

Defining an alert for a non-working server

You won't be able to create a draft alert definition to be distributed by a server that's currently down.

Granularity of disabling alert notifications

You can no longer disable a selected alert notification for a particular user. Now, you can disable notifications globally, either for a particular alert or a particular user.

SNMP Traps

We changed the structure of the SNMP Trap message. In DC RUM 2017, the number of OID fields is the same among alerts of the same type. For example, METRIC_ALM type alerts always contain 25 fields - first three reserved for the metadata, such as ID of the alert, and remaining 22 the defined alert data. Each alert has uniquely defined OIDs, but the Trap message is sent using the base type OIDs. Therefore, once each OID is given a label, defining a new alert doesn’t require reading the MIB file again.

In NAM 2018, the number of OID fields may be different - only the first three metadata fields are consistent among the alerts of the same type, remaining fields are alert specific. An alert using only one dimension may only use two fields. It is necessary to read the MIB file to decipher what each OID means every time a new alert is defined or modified.

Changes in comparison modes

We removed Absolute and Relativecomparison modes. The new available modes are Single, replacing the Value mode and the new modes, Absolute baseline and Relative baseline performing absolute and relative comparison against the NAM server calculated baselines.

Deprecated Synthetic Classic alerts

The Dynatrace platform is now the primary interface for all the users, including classic products. As Synthetic Classic customers upgrade to Dynatrace Synthetic, Dynatrace NAM 2018 Server will continue to acquire and process Synthetic Classic data; however, alerting on Synthetic Classic data is no longer supported.